Understanding the strategic and tactical considerations of Saudi Arabia will be the key factor for the success of U.S. policy in the wake of the oil price crash and Covid-19 outbreak.
Mark Finley, Jim Krane, Kenneth B. Medlock IIIApril 5, 2020
This paper outlines proposals that integrate economic development and nature to address our region’s flood problems, as well as structural solutions that serve multiple purposes.
Jim Blackburn, Elizabeth Winston-JonesDecember 19, 2019
Recent developments in the oil kingdoms of the Middle East demonstrate that rentier governments are engaging their citizens with energy policymaking in ways that do not follow rentier state theory, writes fellow Jim Krane.
Hurricane surge flooding is often overlooked in Houston, yet it poses a significant threat to the region in the form of property damage and a potentially massive loss of life. Rice faculty scholar Jim Blackburn outlines this problem and possible solutions to mitigate surge flooding.
A newly released study from the Project on Middle East Political Science at George Washington University includes a contribution from fellow Jim Krane on subsidy reform and tax increases in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia’s massive hydrocarbon endowment and ownership of Islamic holy sites have created a unique political economy. In this research paper, energy fellow Jim Krane explores established policy practices and assesses Saudi Arabia’s emerging strategy for future participation in the oil business.
Building on the experiences of Hurricane Harvey, the authors present a summary of flooding issues in Harris County and discuss proposed local and federal projects in preparation for the upcoming flood bond election in August 2018.
In this paper, Jim Blackburn examines some of the major issues currently facing the city of Houston — flooding, the climate and carbon, and food supply — and explores possible policy solutions to these challenges.
Faculty scholar Jim Blackburn proposes a series of realistic ideas that can substantially reduce misery and damage the next time a catastrophic storm like Harvey tears through the Houston-Galveston area.